The Côte
d'Azur (English: Azure Coast) is the narrow coastal part of the
department of Alpes-Maritimes in PROVENCE, southeastern France.
Strictly defined, it stretches from CANNES to Menton at the Italian
border, but the term is often used synonymously with the RIVIERA (or
French Riviera). It begins where the granitic and metamorphic rocks
of the Massif de l'Esterel end at the Golfe de la Napoule and the
limestone Alps reach the sea. Thus, the white cliffs and headlands of
the rugged, indented coast contrast with the often clear, blue sky
and sea amid the lush subtropical vegetation of palm and mimosa. The
tourist industry has resulted in the Côte d'Azur having an
almost continuous string of resorts, the most important being Monte
Carlo in Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, and Menton, each with a different
character. Fishing is important, and olives, grapes, citrus fruits,
and flowers (for making perfumes) are grown. The eastern part of the
Côte d'Azur, the county of Nice, was ceded to France by Italy
in 1860.

CORSE

Corsica (French:
Corse) is the fourth largest island (8,680 sq km/ 3,352 sq mi) in the
Mediterranean Sea. It is situated 170 km (105 mi) southeast of
France, 97 km (60 mi) west of the Italian mainland, and is separated
from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio. A region of France with its
own elected assembly, Corsica is divided into the departments of
Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. An independence movement is active.

Most of the island
is a crystalline massif carved by the major rivers (Golo, Gravone,
Tavignano), with frequent gorges in the mountains. Maquis, a dense,
nearly impenetrable scrub brush, is the most common vegetative cover
at low and medium altitudes. Forests of pine, beech, birch, and
chestnut are found at higher altitudes. Sheep are raised on the
rugged Niolo plateau in the north, and cheese from their milk is an
important Corsican export. The economy is based on agriculture
(citrus fruit, tobacco, grapes), although tourism is becoming
important. A third of the population of 251,300 (1992 est.) live in
the two largest towns, AJACCIO, the capital, and Bastia, both of
which are on the coast. Most inhabitants speak both French (the
official language) and Corsican, which is an Italian dialect.

The Romans conquered
Corsica in the 3d century BC and established agricultural colonies
along the coasts. These were destroyed during the Vandal, Lombard,
and Saracen invasions between about AD 450 and 1050. Pisa and Genoa
(until 1284) and Genoa and Aragon (until 1434) battled for control of
the island. Genoa remained dominant from the 15th to the 18th
century, when the Corsicans rebelled (1729) and established (1755)
their own government under Pasquale PAOLI. The French conquered
Corsica in 1769. During the French Revolution, Paoli returned to
power and allied himself with the British, who occupied the island in
1794. Napoleon Bonaparte (a native Corsican) restored French rule in
1796.